Esports Education: A Brief Review
A brief synopsis and outlook for the development of esports education in American universities.
The recent growth of collegiate esports is leading to development in all facets of academia. This fall, the University of Oklahoma debuted an Esports Business certificate within the Price College of Business. This is one of many educational developments in the esports field of the last few years. Esports, and gaming as a whole, spans many industries. From production and graphic design, to computer science and business, esports requires a diverse group of skill sets and individuals in order to be successful as an industry.
Will “Dr. Fisack” Fisackerly Ph.D. is the primary esports-business professor at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Fisack believes that esports education at the university level fills a need in the industry. “Higher [education] has always pushed the research and development of our society and the esports industry is just another sector that is waiting to be fully supported by scholarship and pedagogy.” Dr. Fisack is also a strong supporter of collaboration between esports industry leaders and higher education.
"We need a best practices focus, where the esports industry helps guide our understanding of what esports business professionals need to know to be successful."
Dr. Fisack and students visit a volleyball game at the University of Oklahoma to discuss operations of P4 athletic events.
Harrisburg University’s Professor Tom Screech also chimed in on the outlook for the growth in esports curriculum. “I think [esports education] will just keep growing,” said Screech. “[Esports] fills the gap that degrees like game design and comp sci create from being either too technical or not practical enough.”
Esports also has one of the largest research engines in academia right now. Countless articles and books are being published analyzing various facets of the esports industry. Research interest in the topic opens more doors for graduate-level education opportunities as well. Mikel Burbridge speaks on the importance of esports in his article, The Benefits of Esports in Education: A Winning Combination.
“The integration of Esports in education offers a wide array of benefits that go beyond just gaming. It can transform learning into a dynamic and engaging experience, preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
According to Burbridge, benefits of esports in education include but are not limited to: increasing student engagement and motivation, bolstering equal opportunity and diversity, and improving digital literacy amongst students.
Most universities are filing esports education underneath the umbrella of business. A lot of programs apply esports as part of sports management while others are getting their own programs entirely. As opportunities continue to grow, so do the challenges. The growth in support for collegiate esports programs is aiding the cause as well. Regardless of what the future holds, it's an exciting time to be a student in the collegiate esports space.
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